Thursday, September 18, 2008

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 59 illegal immigrants who either failed to appear for immigration hearings or fled after a judge ordered them to leave the country.

In a five-day operation which began Sept. 12, two local ICE Fugitive Operations Teams targeted people in 14 Colorado cities, including Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Glenwood Springs and Thornton.

Of those arrested, 30 were fugitives who had been ordered deported, 29 were immigration violators that ICE agents encountered during the investigation.

Twenty had criminal convictions, including sexual assault of a child, car theft and resisting arrest. Among those arrested were:

# Christian Daniel Sabido Yberri, from Mexico, who has an outstanding order of deportation. His record includes multiple arrests and convictions both as a juvenile and as an adult. He is currently in ICE custody pending deportation.

# Fernando Rios Miramontes, from Mexico, overstayed his visitor visa and was on the Garfield County Sheriff's Office most wanted list for sexually assaulting a child. He has been turned over to the Denver Police Department on the outstanding warrant. ICE agents also placed a detainer on him.

# Ivan Eduardo Rodriguez Hernandez, from Mexico, was convicted of sexual assault June 2 and sentenced to 10 years probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. He is in ICE custody and is being held without bail as he awaits his immigration hearing.

# Jose Rodriguez Hernandez, from Mexico, was convicted Jan. 31, 2007, of aggravated motor-vehicle theft and sentenced to 45 days in jail and one year probation. He is in ICE custody and being held without bail as he awaits his immigration hearing.

"ICE uses all the tools and resources at our disposal to locate fugitives who show a blatant disregard for our nation's immigration laws," said John Longshore, field office director for ICE office of detention and removal operations in Denver.